KiasuParents - Parenting in Singapore

Dear Fellow Singaporeans
There are very few Students who pursues what they want to study at Uni right from O-Level & A-Levels.

Clearly it is easier to score good grades at A-levels with Physics/Chem or Bio/Chem Combination & then enter Business Degree or Arts degree.

We have Millinum Institute teaching Business & Acountancy after O-level & they should be given preference to NUS/NTU/SMU business/Accountancy degree. A-level student with 3H2 science subjects should not be allowed to enter Business/Accoutancy or Arts degree

Similarly all ARTs courses at NUS/NTU/SMU should only be open to A-level students who has atleast 2H2 ARTs subject.

This is like Queue cutting by Science students & Statastic will prove it. Can we have some of the stats.

This should clearly change, doors must be closed to A-level students with 3H2 science subjects into Non -engineering courses.

Worried Dad of Daughter taking 3H2 Arts subject

DadOfGirl wrote:Dear Fellow Singaporeans
There are very few Students who pursues what they want to study at Uni right from O-Level & A-Levels.

Clearly it is easier to score good grades at A-levels with Physics/Chem or Bio/Chem Combination & then enter Business Degree or Arts degree.

We have Millinum Institute teaching Business & Acountancy after O-level & they should be given preference to NUS/NTU/SMU business/Accountancy degree. A-level student with 3H2 science subjects should not be allowed to enter Business/Accoutancy or Arts degree

Similarly all ARTs courses at NUS/NTU/SMU should only be open to A-level students who has atleast 2H2 ARTs subject.

This is like Queue cutting by Science students & Statastic will prove it. Can we have some of the stats.

This should clearly change, doors must be closed to A-level students with 3H2 science subjects into Non -engineering courses.

Worried Dad of Daughter taking 3H2 Arts subject

I think that you assume that it's easier to score higher in sciences that in humanities. My view is that it's easier for a student who is innately good at a subject to score high in that subject, and so those strong in sciences should pick sciences, and those strong in arts should take arts. Since university admissions looks at grades before the subject, it's quite fair, in my opinion. Your way would force students to choose their university course at the age of 16, which is too early, in my view. And if science students can do well at business/accountancy/arts, why not let them select those courses? I hate to say this, having a child doing Arts A levels, but often, weak students pick arts because they can't get into science, or they believe that it's harder to fail at arts subjects. If they are really strong at arts subjects and can get all As for the A levels, then they also would not have difficulty getting into their course of choice at university. Just my opinion.

Just a note - when you say "3 H2 science" subjects, are you including Maths? Because the typical 4 H2 combination only allows a maximum of 2 sciences plus maths.

Then you should have taken science course in JC. When entering arts course you should already have done your research and found out the restrictions it would result in later when choosing uni courses.

Skyed wrote:Then you should have taken science course in JC. When entering arts course you should already have done your research and found out the restrictions it would result in later when choosing uni courses.

I think his point is not that arts students face restrictions, but that science students are "straying" into courses that arts students can take.

slmkhoo wrote:

Skyed wrote:Then you should have taken science course in JC. When entering arts course you should already have done your research and found out the restrictions it would result in later when choosing uni courses.

I think his point is not that arts students face restrictions, but that science students are "straying" into courses that arts students can take.

Yes ...3H2 including maths.You have to take on one contrasting subject

I kind of find it hard that we have created the Millium Institute where student work on Accuntancy & Business management subject & they dun get preference to get in SMU/NTU/NUS business/accountancy courses.

And why would you learn Biology , if you have no preference to do Medicine , Bio Technology or Pharmacy?

DadOfGirl wrote:Yes ...3H2 including maths.You have to take on one contrasting subject

I kind of find it hard that we have created the Millium Institute where student work on Accuntancy & Business management subject & they dun get preference to get in SMU/NTU/NUS business/accountancy courses.

And why would you learn Biology , if you have no preference to do Medicine , Bio Technology or Pharmacy?

From a university's point of view, they will take in the students they believe will perform best. For subjects where the students need to have some foundation, then the university will set prerequisites. For those subjects where prerequisites are not necessary, then anyone who has the interest and ability may apply. I don't see this as a bad thing as students don't have to make serious decisions as early as 16yo. Again, I hate to say this, but Millennia Institute students are not very strong students on the whole. Some are there because they wasted their time earlier and wake up in time to do well at the A levels, but many are weak students and are at the lower end of the A level cohort, whatever subjects they take. (Please don't think I am being derogatory, my daughter is in MI and I'm trying to be objective.)

As to why someone would study a subject but not head for a related university course - why not? Out of 4 A level subjects, there are almost certainly one or two "irrelevant" ones. Maybe they hadn't made up their minds yet, or they changed their minds along the way, or they are just interested even though they don't intend to make it a career. I believe that having a varied background provides breadth and depth to a person's understanding, and their chosen course and profession will be all the richer for it.

I think the trend is that Engineering as a profession is losing popularity in Singapore. Hence, many A-Levels students take P/C/B & End up doing non-Eng, as mentioned. There are various factors leading to this, for example pay, foreign competition, etc.

Even for those taking engineering degrees, many are thinking of avoiding engineering jobs and entering finance. See:
http://www.quora.com/Singapore/Why-do-s ... ngineering

http://www.quora.com/Why-do-Singapore-s ... -Singapore

I would advise students to choose courses that they like and have interest in, be it engineering or non-engineering. University is academically challenging and four years is a long time, choosing a subject that one enjoys would help make the process more enjoyable.
Engineers do deserve a lot of respect, as they arguably contribute more to society than people in finance, and it is hard work.

DadOfGirl wrote:

slmkhoo wrote: Yes ...3H2 including maths.You have to take on one contrasting subject

I kind of find it hard that we have created the Millium Institute where student work on Accuntancy & Business management subject & they dun get preference to get in SMU/NTU/NUS business/accountancy courses.

And why would you learn Biology , if you have no preference to do Medicine , Bio Technology or Pharmacy?

Why should they get a preference? Are you suggesting that these A levels are somehow "superior" to any other A level (eg English Literature, Mathematics)? If the universities themselves do not think that doing Accountancy/ Business Management at A levels is necessary or even advantageous for the relevant degree course, I fail to see why we should give students an advantage whatsoever just because they did those subjects (bearing in mind that these are subjects which are typically not offered in most JCs, which means a significant number of students who wish to enter these courses would be discriminated against). For example, we don't give wannabe Economics students a pass just because they did it in JC. Even doing triple sciences in JC doesn't confer any advantages in applying to Medical school. It just means that you pass the minimum threshold requirements for consideration.

Well you could learn a subject just because A) you like it and/ or B) you do well in it? Many A level/ IB students take subjects which have no relevance whatsoever to their subsequent choice of degree or their careers. I did H2 Maths, and I can safely say that I haven't had to use any Maths beyond basic arithmetic since I entered university. Heck, not many university graduates get to use a lot of the knowledge they gained from their university days when they enter the workforce.

At any rate, it is entirely possible to do well with three Arts A levels, so it's not some massive disadvantage. I'd love to see the statistics from MOE that detail grade breakdowns for each A level subject though.

micko07 wrote:

DadOfGirl wrote:Yes ...3H2 including maths.You have to take on one contrasting subject

I kind of find it hard that we have created the Millium Institute where student work on Accuntancy & Business management subject & they dun get preference to get in SMU/NTU/NUS business/accountancy courses.

And why would you learn Biology , if you have no preference to do Medicine , Bio Technology or Pharmacy?

Why should they get a preference? ...

Please note that the quote is from DadOfGirl, not me.

Sharing the grade profiles for entry to the various courses of NUS. The minimum requirements for Arts are grades A, B, B at A levels.